Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST VALLEY CITY — A Salt Lake college student robbed of all his money while grocery shopping in West Valley City is being told by the policethere's nothing that can be done about it.
Ahmed al-Sarraf says his dad wired him $1,000 for rent and food. He picked it up at Western Union inside Smith's on 4000 S Redwood Road and set his envelope down to pay for his groceries.
"When I got on the bus I had a panic attack and realized the money wasn't with me," al-Sarraf said.
He says the cashier had moved the envelope so when he looked down and didn't see it, he assumed he already had it back in his pocket.
"(The cashier) was like, immediately apologizing, saying, I should have asked him if it was his money, I should have asked him if it was his cash," al-Sarraf said. "It's a bit late now, lady."
Instead, the next guy in line took it. Al-Sarraf says police told him the surveillance video showed the guy followed him throughout the store.
"When I needed bread, he was there," he said. "When I needed eggs, he was there."
But he said West Valley Police officers told him there's not a good enough picture of the thief's face, so there's nothing they can do.
West Valley City Police and Smith's did not immediately return a request for comment. More information will be posted as it's available.
